NBA Draft 2020: Mock Draft 7.0 (Who Teams Should Pick)

NBA Draft prospect LaMelo Ball (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
NBA Draft prospect LaMelo Ball (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
(Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

The Sixers need guard help more than anything else. Preferably, guard help that can shoot. Theo Maledon is a smooth playmaker, and someone who fits snuggly into the Sixers’ mostly vacant backup point guard slot. He even has Tony Parker’s mentorship under his belt.

Known for a good work ethic, Maledon carved out a sizable role in Euroleague competition last season. He’s a heady playmaker out of the pick-and-roll — which Doc Rivers should covet — and he’s a capable floor-spacer who can spend time next other playmakers, a la Ben Simmons.

The Sixers would do well to get a versatile guard who can dribble, shoot, pass, and defend — a skill quartet the team has rarely achieved in recent years. Maledon lacks top-shelf athleticism, but he’s a shifty ball-handler who understands how to manipulate defenders with his handle. He could expect minutes early and often in Philadelphia.